Roan Highlands in Bloom

by Don Hyatt

At Long Last...

After many years of missing the bloom at Roan Highlands, I finally saw
the mountaintop in full bloom on June 26, 2001. These are just a few images
I took of the purple Catawba Rhododendrons (R. catawbiense) and
the beautiful yellow and orange
Flame Azaleas (R. calendulaceum) that day.

I parked my car at Carvers Gap expecting to take a short hike for about an
hour, but stayed out there for six hours instead, hiking past Engine Gap
and Jane Bald all the way to Grassy Ridge. The weather was beautiful,
the flowers were in peak condition, and the views were magnificent.
It was perfection.